Thursday, April 15, 2010

Winners and My Book Cover

Thank you for entering the giveaway! Everyone that selected a title is getting the book that they want! I'll be emailing it to you over the weekend. (I'm working all day Friday and then I have an orchestra rehearsal in the evening, so I won't get to it until Saturday or Sunday.)

Now, for the great news! The first book I wrote when I wanted to become an author was an epic YA fantasy titled The Voices of Ire. Now, I wrote this book without knowing any of the recent trends in the marketplace. I wrote what I wanted to from my heart with no outside influence. And that's why this book is so special to me. I wrote what I would have liked in a book, not what I think everyone else would like.

At 104,000 words (and originally 116,000) It was rejected by all agents. And it had multiple viewpoints and was sometimes in omniprescent view, which is so out of fashion right now that it might as well be in the bin with those flare leg pants! (Didn't you know tapered leg is back in?) Well, I finally found a publisher that is printing it. It's coming out this summer at Wyvern Publications.

Here is the cover:


Back cover:


And all together:


If you could write without worrying about market trends, agents, readers, anyone but yourself, what would you write?

37 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations!! The cover is beautiful and the blurb sounds great.

I think if I could write anything I wanted it still have paranormal elements (because I enjoy that) but it would also have something to do with music. Maybe have a music historian as the main character or something, not sure exactly. Music would definitely feature heavily in the plot.

Again, congrats!

Natalie said...

What a pretty cover! Congratulations Aubrie!

You know, I read a really popular series just a few weeks ago that was written in omniscient POV. It was fabulous. Maybe it's getting cool again?

Al said...

That is really wonderful news!
Congratulations!
Great cover!

Valerie Geary said...

Beautiful cover! Love the color!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! That's a beautiful cover.

If I could write anything I want, I'd still write what I'm writing right now, a YA retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

Christi Goddard said...

I would write what I do write: whatever strikes me. My finished MS is just like this one. A viewpoint here, a viewpoint there, large doses of omnicience... and I love it. My betas love it. Agents... not so much. C'est la vie. My new WIP is also written how I want, but this time first person POV called out to me. We'll see how it goes. Congrats on Wyvern! I submitted a while back. Still waiting to hear from them.

Christi Goddard said...

Correction: I just double-checked my email. They responded that their lists are full and to try again at the end of the year.

Avo said...

Congrats, it must feel great to have your first book finally be recognized and read.

Not being (or even trying to be) a professional writer, I don't have to operate under those conditions. So I write what tickles my fancy: conceptual snapshot scenes, fairy tales, fiberglass poems, and whatever happens to falls from the clouds.

Elizabeth Mueller said...

It's GORGEOUS! Congratulations, Aubrie! :)

Kris said...

Aubrie that cover is just gorgeous!!

Cherie Reich said...

Oh, wow! That's an awesome cover! I'll be first in line to buy it when it comes out!

If I could write anything, it would still be my Phoenix Trilogy. I believe it does have a few current trend elements as epic fantasy, but the mythology involved in the novel is dear to me. I thought about the story for three years before even writing a word of the novel. Now, I just need to finish the rewrites. *laughs*

Jess of All Trades said...

Gorgeous! And congratulations! That's so exciting. I'm writing what I would write, right now :D Trying to regress to my childhood sense of magic and wonder and write what I would have wanted to read at age ten...to get out of my own body and into a magical skin.
Here's hopin'. :D

Michelle H. said...

Congrats! That is one awesome book cover.

Seriously, I don't know what I would write. I don't usually think about the stories until I start typing, and then anything goes for me at that point.

Shelley Sly said...

Congratulations, Aubrie! The cover is so beautiful! I can't wait to read it. :)

Southpaw said...

Beautiful book cover, congratulations.

I think I would still write what I’m writing.

Jaydee Morgan said...

Awesome cover - you must be so proud :)

As far as what I would write - probably the same as I'm writing now. It's what I like and what interests me the most.

Talli Roland said...

Congrats - love the cover! :)

I think I'm writng what I want to, now. We'll see how it pans out!

Have a great weekend!

Carol Kilgore said...

Congratulations! Great news and a beautiful cover.

Amy Allgeyer Cook said...

As always, lovely, lovely cover. :)

I think I already write what I want to write. Maybe that explains why I only have one novel under contract. ;)

Sutton Fox said...

Congratulations, Aubrie!

The cover is simply divine. Sounds like a great story.

Kristine Asselin said...

Beautiful cover, Aubrie! You must be so thrilled! Have a wonderful concert and a great weekend.

Sheila Deeth said...

Cool! Congratulations!

Not sure about the "if I could." Still writing. Still failing to get published, but your news is really encouraging and the cover looks lovely.

Julie Dao said...

Congratulations!!! How beautiful is that cover?! I am so happy for you :)

Angie said...

I missed a giveaway? Bummer. The cover looks beautiful. How exciting! To answer your question, I would write exactly what I am writing, which I have been told just won't sell. Well, I don't believe it and I'm going to keep writing it.

Theresa Milstein said...

I'll echo was everyone has said - it's beautiful. Good for you that you wrote something close to your heart, rather than worrying about trends. You got rejections, and still persevered.

Thank you very much for such a generous giveaway. I'm excited!

Moll said...

Congratulations! The cover is great.

I am writing my first novel so I think I am very much on the phase of writing for myself without any outside influence. We'll see how it goes.

Elana Johnson said...

It's beautiful! Congrats to you for your perseverance and finding the right home for your book!

I'd write exactly what I'm writing. I write what I like, trends and market notwithstanding.

Nicole Zoltack said...

Love the cover!

That's basically how I write. Each book I write is the book of my heart. All I do is write books that I would like to read. I think more authors get in trouble when they try to follow trends because by the time they have a book ready, the market has already changed. Much better to write what you are interested in than what you think will sell. Or at least, that's what I think/do.

Alexandra Shostak said...

Omg that's SO PRETTY! Congratulations!

Unknown said...

So excited for you!!! I can't wait to buy your book. Wow! And I love the cover. Way to go, Aubrie!!

Hope you're celebrating tonight!

Jackee said...

Congrats!!! It's such a beautiful cover. So amazing!

And congrats to the winners.

To answer your question, I'd still be writing what I'm writing because so far I haven't written to a trend. Hopefully that can continue even if I'm picked up by an agent!

Roxy said...

You always amaze me, Aubrie. Thanks for all the support on my blog. I have a small gift for you. Could you email me your address so I could send it to you? roxyhaynie@mac.com Thanks!

Unknown said...

Congratulations the book cover looks amazing!!!

If I could write anything I want I'd stay right where I was at, the YA fantasy pieces, they are my heart and soul and I don't think I'd change my path.

Lux Zakari said...

Ee! Is that is print? That's so wonderful -- congratulations!

-LZ.

Carolina M. Valdez Schneider said...

Congratulations!! What an amazing cover. So pretty. It would definitely attract my attention.

I can't imagine how thrilled you are.

But I think, even though you struggled for a bit, that you are right to just follow your gut when writing. Writing is a passion, to be sure.

Mia Hayson said...

Love the cover! I would write what I write now to be honest, maybe I would write more vampires though :P

CMZ Art/ Rustic Goth said...

Beautiful cover! Congrats!!